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Old 08-16-2012, 12:35 PM
 
Location: Up on the moon laughing down on you
18,495 posts, read 32,786,243 times
Reputation: 7752

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Quote:
Originally Posted by migol84 View Post
That's not an easy task to describe. But if I can try... it's like a community there. Everybody knows everybody. It's laid back and care free... everyone's friendly and outgoing, smart and funny... it's very common to go out on a weeknight and meet your friends at a bar. We used to do this in Lovejoys. I think it's closed down already but all my friends would meet on Monday nights and a friend of ours who worked there would charge us once, and then give us free beers so long as we tipped him. If you lived close to downtown you were all the more a part of the scene... it almost felt urban-like. You don't need to get on a car, everything is just right down the corner. And anyone who wears ties gets made fun of...
I lived in Austin for two years. And I can confidently say that I disagree with a lot of that.

First Austin has around 800,000 people and a metro quickly pushing 2M. There is no way Austin is a community and everyone knows everyone.

When I lived there the neighbors barely knew each other. People were friendly like just about anywhere else in Texas, but in no way does the statement everyone knows everyone. Not even in San Marcos does everyone know everyone.

secondly all cities in Texas are laid back. I lived in SA too, and I thought SA was by far the most laid back city in Texas. Houston would probably come second. I would even say FW is more laid back than Austin. Not that Austin is not laid back, but saying it is different from the rest of Texas because it is laid back is silly. There are many areas in Texas that are more laid back than Austin.

Third, In every city in america, people go out weeknights and meet friends at bars. I did it all threw undergrad. Don't know why Austin would be seen as the only city to do that.


I think I am with Spade here. Austin is more like Texas than its residents would like people to believe.

Austin prides itself on being an outdoorsy city, but millions in SA and Houston enjoy outdoor activities too. Cycling, going to the lake and the beach is very popular here in Houston.

I can't think of any area that Austin sets itself apart from the rest of Texas in such a way to say it different
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Old 08-16-2012, 12:42 PM
 
Location: san francisco
2,057 posts, read 3,854,507 times
Reputation: 819
Quote:
Originally Posted by HtownLove View Post
I lived in Austin for two years. And I can confidently say that I disagree with a lot of that.

First Austin has around 800,000 people and a metro quickly pushing 2M. There is no way Austin is a community and everyone knows everyone.

When I lived there the neighbors barely knew each other. People were friendly like just about anywhere else in Texas, but in no way does the statement everyone knows everyone. Not even in San Marcos does everyone know everyone.

secondly all cities in Texas are laid back. I lived in SA too, and I thought SA was by far the most laid back city in Texas. Houston would probably come second. I would even say FW is more laid back than Austin. Not that Austin is not laid back, but saying it is different from the rest of Texas because it is laid back is silly. There are many areas in Texas that are more laid back than Austin.

Third, In every city in america, people go out weeknights and meet friends at bars. I did it all threw undergrad. Don't know why Austin would be seen as the only city to do that.


I think I am with Spade here. Austin is more like Texas than its residents would like people to believe.

Austin prides itself on being an outdoorsy city, but millions in SA and Houston enjoy outdoor activities too. Cycling, going to the lake and the beach is very popular here in Houston.

I can't think of any area that Austin sets itself apart from the rest of Texas in such a way to say it different
This whole statement is fact that you were never involved in Austin and its a shame because you'd of enjoyed it a lot.

For example... I used to go out in Houston all the time. It was very common. We used to go to the park a lot, but in Austin every time you go to the park you will always meet many of your friends there. It's not the quantity that makes Austin.. Austin. It's the quality and the ambience that is catered to Austin only.

These things are very difficult to describe. It's like describing a color to a blind person... it's impossible. Truth is you'd have to experience it to understand it... and you never experienced Austin even if you don't wanna admit it. Two years is barely enough to get the gist of it.

And what is it about the rest of Texas always trying to take that away from Austin locals? If they say they have reasons to like Austin over Houston or SA or Dallas, then let them! If they say, "there's more of a community here." Let them have that reason.
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Old 08-16-2012, 12:45 PM
 
Location: Austin, Texas
1,985 posts, read 3,301,319 times
Reputation: 1705
Let's see, educated population, geography, its politics, demographics, its economy. That's to list a few
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Old 08-16-2012, 12:47 PM
 
Location: san francisco
2,057 posts, read 3,854,507 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Austinite101 View Post
Let's see, educated population, geography, its politics, demographics, its economy. That's to list a few
You're stirring the waters man... these people just like to think that we are delusional.
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Old 08-16-2012, 12:48 PM
 
Location: The Lone Star State
8,030 posts, read 9,010,396 times
Reputation: 5050
Quote:
Originally Posted by migol84 View Post
when you say that houston's is more genuine and real than austin's.... you must be doing something. you're ideas are warped, or you're being disingenuous, or something. because that is far fetched to say.
Actually I would tend to agree Houston is more genuine. The city doesn't try to interfere in much.
And assuming they mean Houstonians don't use the city to define themselves. It's very individualistic there. People work hard and base their self-worth on themselves, not on what city they're in so much. Austin, and many residents, too often use the promotion of these cherry-picked positive attributes and publicity as part of their identities.
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Old 08-16-2012, 12:53 PM
 
Location: san francisco
2,057 posts, read 3,854,507 times
Reputation: 819
Quote:
Originally Posted by sxrckr View Post
Actually I would tend to agree Houston is more genuine. The city doesn't try to interfere in much.
And assuming they mean Houstonians don't use the city to define themselves. It's very individualistic there. People work hard and base their self-worth on themselves, not on what city they're in so much. Austin, and many residents, too often use the promotion of these cherry-picked positive attributes and publicity as part of their identities.
If somebody likes a city because it gears more towards their identity it does not mean they are less genuine. Maybe it just means that they find more people they have in common with. How does that make them less genuine?
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Old 08-16-2012, 01:05 PM
 
Location: The Lone Star State
8,030 posts, read 9,010,396 times
Reputation: 5050
Quote:
Originally Posted by migol84 View Post
If somebody likes a city because it gears more towards their identity it does not mean they are less genuine. Maybe it just means that they find more people they have in common with. How does that make them less genuine?
It can. I think so. It can make you less true to yourself. Houston doesn't have as much a specific identity, so people just are who they are. Anyway, I'm done discussing because this is going way off topic from the original subject. It's funny how Austinites (yes I'm guilty too) are monitoring a Houston topic thread so much.... however I'm not going to get all offended and argue just because Houston is getting some deserving positive attention.

Edit: ok, this just got moved from the US forum to Houston. I'm out.
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Old 08-16-2012, 01:07 PM
 
Location: Up on the moon laughing down on you
18,495 posts, read 32,786,243 times
Reputation: 7752
Quote:
Originally Posted by migol84 View Post
This whole statement is fact that you were never involved in Austin and its a shame because you'd of enjoyed it a lot.

For example... I used to go out in Houston all the time. It was very common. We used to go to the park a lot, but in Austin every time you go to the park you will always meet many of your friends there. It's not the quantity that makes Austin.. Austin. It's the quality and the ambience that is catered to Austin only.

These things are very difficult to describe. It's like describing a color to a blind person... it's impossible. Truth is you'd have to experience it to understand it... and you never experienced Austin even if you don't wanna admit it. Two years is barely enough to get the gist of it.

And what is it about the rest of Texas always trying to take that away from Austin locals? If they say they have reasons to like Austin over Houston or SA or Dallas, then let them! If they say, "there's more of a community here." Let them have that reason.
if you have to take more than 2 years to get a community feel in Austin then sorry dude, that characteristic is too minuscule to promote.

Sorry. Austin is a deeply Texan city.
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Old 08-16-2012, 01:08 PM
 
Location: Pearland, TX
3,333 posts, read 9,135,102 times
Reputation: 2338
Most folks like Houston for the paycheck, me included.

Just sayin'...

Ronnie
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Old 08-16-2012, 01:09 PM
 
Location: san francisco
2,057 posts, read 3,854,507 times
Reputation: 819
Quote:
Originally Posted by sxrckr View Post
It can. I think so. It can make you less true to yourself. Houston doesn't have as much a specific identity, so people just are who they are. Anyway, I'm done discussing because this is going way off topic from the original subject. It's funny how Austinites (yes I'm guilty too) are monitoring a Houston topic thread so much.... however I'm not going to get all offended and argue just because Houston is getting some deserving positive attention.
Wait a minute dude. that's not even fair. Someone else started talking about Austin and I stepped into the conversation. And also how do you make sense that if you move to a city because it gears more to what you identify yourself with as being "less true to yourself." That doesn't make sense at all.

And this thread was in the city vs city so its not as if i'd been coming to the houston thread up until just this post.
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